The issue isn't really basic homophobia. It's the way insults are created. "Fag" is a term like "Retarded," "Moron," and "Idiot." All of them commonly used insults that are derived from conditions or lifestyle choices (Actually it's different because homosexuality isn't a negative like being mentally retarded, but, I'll ignore that for the moment.) The statement doesn't show the homophobia in the military but rather the general inconsideration that we have in our choice of words. At least, how I read it, "Fags" referred to the Taliban.<P>Wrong, but not as wrong.<P>------------------Clan gDC. The only clan daring enough to play "Sorry." Um... The boardgame.

Yes, I agree that the "fags" was meant as an insult against the terrorists and/or Taliban.<P>And the issue is indeed homophobia. Why do people try to insult by saying "that's so gay" or "fag" to someone they know isn't actually gay? Because they are homophobic -- if they didn't think queer was bad, they wouldn't use it as an insult. You don't insult someone by saying positive things like "You're smart" or "You're attractive"; you insult them with negative accusations.<P>Also irritating that AP would run the photo without comment on that graffiti, then pull it without comment. Imagine it had some other sort of offensive epithet. They would not have run the photo if it said "High jack this, cunts" or "High jack this, niggers", or if they did, they would have commented on the bigotry.<P>------------------russ<A HREF="http://www.kofightclub.com" TARGET=_blank>Ko Fight Club</A><A HREF="http://comicollage.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Comicollage</A>

In most cases, I would ask whether "fag" means "gay" as (again, like my other examples) it has become a negative comment almost without boundary. In this instance, I accept the likelihood of its calling the Taliban homosexual and I have also long condemned the usage of fag. <P>I don't know how much the AP is responsible for, though. <P>------------------Clan gDC. The only clan daring enough to play "Sorry." Um... The boardgame.

In my experience the AP isn't very respnsible, full stop.<P>It's amazing to me how often homophobic epithets are accompanied by misspellings or poor grammar. And you say this was an officer who wrote this?? Officers have college degrees.<P>------------------<B>Scott Maddix</B><A HREF="http://pdi.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Psychic Dyslexia Institute</A><A HREF="http://spoon.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Fire on the Mountain</A>

Actually it is somewhat ambiguous if the officer wrote the "High Jack..." portion or was just signing another part of the bomb (and the "High Jack..." was previously painted on). He does seem to be to the right of the visible text and using a smaller writing instrument.<P>------------------russ<A HREF="http://www.kofightclub.com" TARGET=_blank>Ko Fight Club</A><A HREF="http://comicollage.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>Comicollage</A>